Question for those in the armed forces

[onthecount]

How do you protect your hearing when you're in the field during combat? Obviously on the range during training exercises you'd have hearing protection I would assume. I would guess that after only a few rounds being fired in actual combat you're hearing would be just about shot...with that being said can you/do you wear any kind of hearing protection in combat?

 

[LRS_Ranger]

Well, you can use the issue plugs, but they tend to block out a lot, including sounds that you want to hear, like communication and orders and stuff. Foamies are a little better, because you can (at least I can) vary how much they block by how far you shove them in your ears. Peltors are the best, obviously, but not all units get them. When we were doing walking stuff (when I was a private and didn't have peltors) I just went slick. I would rather get a little deaf in the case that something goes down than miss something that could be important. I don't like dulling my senses.

 

[merlinfire]

I've always wondered this. LRS said pretty much what I expected to hear - that there are accepted ways to do it but you risk missing something important. When you're in life-or-death situations it might not be worth the risk?

 

[Tim the student]

When I was in vehicles I used earplugs - the ones that have one end for training, and one for combat. I don't recall the name now.

Doing different things dismounted, I used nothing. You lose way too much with the plugs, IMO. Definitely not worth the risk.

I think it was the best way to do things, and I would do it again that way.

 

[sgtzach]

I did 3 tours and never wore earplugs...can't hear or give good commands or listen to the radio when you got 'em in...better to have ringing years than be medevac'd because you couldn't hear someone saying where the fire was coming from or where the IED was spotted...when in training always wore them to minimize hearing loss but once again when doing real technical or when percision commands where needed in training and manuevers they came out...part of the sacrifice you make...

 

[Shadow 7D]

you don't
I mean, you are when you are on a truck ect. you can wear hearing protection, but in on foot, well

OH and those gun fights all have a 5 second rule, after the first volley, everybody has 5 seconds to put in there ear plugs....

 

[APIT50]

During my first tour I came home with 30% loss in both ears. If you don't hear the shots (which you would be surprised how easily are drowned out between open areas and vehicle sounds) you find out the hard way that someone is shooting at you. My second tour I was a vehicle commander and we had vehicle comms with headsets that permitted communication and hearing protection in one.

 

[Nushif]

I don't even use plugs on our battery shoots unless we're dealing with non-blanks.

For some reason, too the rifle doesn't seem nearly as noisy outdoors and while I'm too distracted to do anything other than focus on the mission.

 

[Big Boy]

I wonder if these surefire sonic defenders would be a good use for this type of thing. They are small enough to fit inside the ear only, but say they are like electronic muffs. Where they only block noise over 80db. But, they only boast a 19db noise reduction, and that's with the stoppers in... I don't know how much muffs reduce, but I don't know if these would really be worth it or not.

 

[mrokern]

I wonder if these surefire sonic defenders would be a good use for this type of thing. They are small enough to fit inside the ear only, but say they are like electronic muffs. Where they only block noise over 80db. But, they only boast a 19db noise reduction, and that's with the stoppers in... I don't know how much muffs reduce, but I don't know if these would really be worth it or not.

Many active muffs aren't much better than that, so they might be a viable option.

 

[Tim the student]

I wonder if these surefire sonic defenders would be a good use for this type of thing.

I don't know, but if I can't hear as well with them in as without them in, I'd pass.

 

[rocky branch]

My combat was two tours running recon in the bush in VN.
Dumb place for earplugs.
We wore sweat rags or little pork pie hats, as helmets interfere with hearing.
We were listening for twigs breaking or bushes moving.
I got hearing loss-I deal with it.

 

[ultradoc]

good question onthecount. i have wondered this myself.

 

[FLAvalanche]

I drove amphibious assault vehicles. The vehicle had a coax M2 and Mk19. We had comm helmets that we wore that you would expect to provide hearing protection. However they didn't provide much. After 8 years of sitting next to a screaming 903 cubic inch turbo diesel my favorite saying seems to be "WHAT?!".

 

[postalnut25]

I was a CH-53 crew chief when I was in the Corps. You don't hear the .50s over the sound of the bird. My helmet didn't make much of a fiiference, either. I catch myself saying "What!?" quite a bit, too.

 

[PH/CIB]

Never used any hearing protection in Viet Nam, and even with today's advances, would not use any hearing protection in combat today. For training yes, for the range yes, for combat, NO.

In combat the noise is unbelievable, with peaks and valleys from intense fire to single fire to no fire, even hearing protection like my Peltor 7's which allow me to hear conversation at the range but block out loud noises like gunfire, with gunfire going on in a firefight, you need to hear voice commands, you need to hear the radio to call in fire missions or medivacs/dustoffs, you need to hear enemy movement and incoming versus outgoing rounds, an AK has a different cyclic rate and sounds different from an AR, etc.
So even today hearing loss and tinnitus, ringing in the ears, is just a part of the price we all pay for combat.

Combat does strange things to you, we went into a hot LZ once by helicopter and when I got off the bird I could not hear for about ten minutes, and it was terrifying, I was twenty years old then and there was nothing wrong with my hearing and I did not do it intentionally I just think subconsiously my mind shut down my hearing. I have also experienced tunnel vision and things happening at light speed but in slow motion to me, all these are real but caused by your mind as I did none of them intentional, out in the jungle I did not like to sleep at night or sleep very well, as your senses, sight and hearing are shut down during sleep, forget alcohol and drugs even if you could get them out in to the field, only a fool would use them and lose complete control of your senses.

I worked as a Veteran's Rep for most of my career, and filed many claims for Veterans for GI Bill, Home Loans, VA Health Care, Veterans Pension, and Service Connected Disability Compensation, two claims I filed before I retired are memorable, one was for a Navy World War II Vet who was in the Pacific firing those four Quad 40 Pom Pom guns at Japanese aircraft, the other was for a 11 Charlie Korean War Vet in artilley who fired thousands of artillery rounds, God Bless those Gentlemen and all the Veterans I was lucky enough to serve, both received small VA Compensation checks each month for hearing loss and ringing in the ears, fifty years after the fact.

 

[Mightee1]

This is a very real and very serious problem that im sure the military is working on. From the sounds of things, not many in combat wear the earplugs. Not hearing orders or fire from a different dirrection is way worse than a little bit of hearing loss.

I would like to extend a huge Thank You to all of you who have served our country in the Armed Forces.

 

[altitude_19]

As of my last patrol a week ago, nobody wears earplugs. Our vehicles are equipped with interior comm and the headsets dull loud noises. But there is constant chatter on who sees what, and earplugs would preclude the right people from hearing something that can save thier lives. AND I COME BACK TO THE US TOMORROW!!!!!!

 

[Nico Testosteros]

Welcome back Altitude!

 

[FLAvalanche]

What gets me is that I rarely saw grunts in the back of our AAVs wearing earplugs and that's insane. Between the engine, the vabration noise and the sounds of the suspension and track it's just stupid loud back there.

And yet there they sit...asleep...

 

[PH/CIB]

I forgot to mention for you Veterans with Service Connected Hearing Loss whether combat related or non combat related, besides a probably 10% disability rating and a small check for the rest of your life or until the condition improves, not much chance of that, the VA when I retired four years ago also provided free (believe me you earned them) hearing aids and batteries for your lifetime.

Just like every Gun Owner should be a member of the NRA, every Veteran should join a Service Organization whether it be the VFW, American Legion, DAV, Amvets, or others etc. those organizations are constantly lobbying Congress and the President for VA Health Care and Veterans Benefits and without those Organizations we Vets would probably have little to nothing.

Thank You! to all our Veterans of every Branch of the Service, it took All of Us to get the Job Done!

"OUR FOUNDATION OF FREEDOM MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE POSSIBLE IN AMERICA,,,THAT FOUNDATION IS MADE UP OF VETERANS!!!"

 

[onthecount]

Thanks for the great answers, I hope one day the military will develop something thats a good compromise for hearing protection yet allowing important things such as commands to be heard. An even bigger thanks to all those that serve our country.